This invention relates to an inexpensive and safe plant growth promoter. The populations of developing countries are increasing in an explosive manner and a need exists for increasing food production. However, several reasons including the devastation of arable land, desertification and the decrease in crop lands due to industrialization, developing countries are having very hard times in producing more food and have felt a strong need to develop an effective plant growth promoter. The present invention enables a safe and inexpensive plant growth promoter to be produced from oceanic natural resources and holds much promise for a future increase in food production.
Polysaccharides such as chitin and chitosan are known to increase the harvest of vegetables. The product of enzymatic decomposition of sodium alginate has been proposed for use as a plant growth promoter. However, the method of decomposing sodium alginate with enzymes is costly and it has been desired to develop a method by which sodium alginate can be decomposed at a lower cost but in a safe and effective way.